Share This Story!

Kickstart some art: A few creative projects in need

- The Palace Project. I've written about how many small theaters are struggling to convert from analog to digital, and this is one of them. This Wisconsin theater, which opened in 1939, needs money to keep up

Tags

Last year was huge for crowd-funded ideas, with Kickstarter users pledging a whopping $480 million. Below are a few films, albums and other current projects that caught my eye. If you have some extra dough, why not lend 'em a hand?

If you have a suggestion for this regular feature, feel free to reach out to me at popcandy@usatoday.com or via Twitter. A large percentage of the projects I mention get funded!

- SLC Punk 2: Punk's Dead. Back in 1998 the indie film SLC Punk! gained a devout fan base for its compelling story of two '80s punk-rockers stuck in conservative Salt Lake City. Now the writer/director wants to make a sequel, and it sounds pretty cool. The pitch includes support from stars of the original, like Michael Goorjian and Annabeth Gish.

- Hey Moe! Hey Dad!. Paul Howard, the son of Three Stooges member Moe Howard, is making a film about his father and the history of the Stooges. Incentives include books, T-shirts, hot sauce and inclusion in the movie. With 19 days to go, he has raised only about $12,500 of his $350,000 goal.

- The Palace Project. I've written about how many small theaters are struggling to convert from analog to digital, and this is one of them. This historic Wisconsin theater, which opened in 1939, needs money to keep up with the times. So far it has raised $10,400 of its $60,000 goal.

- Scott Fagan Sings Stephin Merritt. Fagan, father of the Magnetic Fields' singer, is a singer-songwriter who wants to release covers of his son's tunes. Pitchfork notes the father and son met for the first time last year, and this project appears to have Merritt's support, with rewards including copies of the CD autographed by both musicians.

- Danny Weinkauf's new children's album. Weinkauf, who has played bass for They Might Be Giants for the last 15 years, is crafting an album of songs and videos for kids. It sounds like a great idea, and only four days in the campaign remain. (He wrote one of my favorite TMBG songs, I Am a Paleontologist.)

- "A Grand Piano for a Classical Pianist." This 14-year-old girl is trying to buy a grand piano so she can start competing internationally. It's worth clicking just to watch her tickle the ivories in her pitch video. (There's good stuff around the three-minute mark.)